The first casting I made was based on the same type of axe. As I've
now got the knowledge and experience to make a much better reproduction,
I've decided to redo this axe. My first version of this axe can be seen
here.

The Ekehaar variant axes have all been found in or close to Drenthe.
Therefore this must have been a local production. The Ekehaar variant axes
can be recognized by the three or four decorative lines that are hammered
in halfway on the axe. The photo here shows the axe from Valthe. For my
axe I used the example found at Ees.

Model

The model used to make the moulds is made from clay and
sand.

Mould

The mould is made from clay and sand, and fired after it
was dried. Here the mould can be seen before firing.

Casting result

The quality of the casting is very good. The surface is
smooth and the amount of work required to finish it is minimal.

Finished axehead

Here is the axehead after finishing. Although I used authentic
methods, the finishing only took about 4 hours. The decorative lines are
hammered in using a bronze punch.

Second casting

Mould

For this axe I had prepared a second mould, this time as
experiment of another clay type. It's a brown clay mixed with crushed earthenware
as tempering instead of sand. This kind of tempering was also used in pottery
in the bronze age. It worked well, though larger moulds had sherds break
away during firing. This indicates insufficient tempering. So the next
time I'll use this clay, I'll add additional sand.

Casting result

This axe was also of good quality. There is no noticable
difference in quality from the normal clay I use. So it seems that with
the right treatement, the different clays give the same result in casting.
There are a few bubbles in the surface though, but I suspect this was enclosed
air, rather then gassing from the mould.